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CHARLES C. SCHMITT AND RUDOLPH WODRIOH, OF NEW YORK, N. 'Yr

Letters Patent No. 82,754, dated October 6, 1868.

IMPROVED FOLDING lzlASY-'GHAIRl TO A'LL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, CHARLES O. SCHMITT and RUDoLPH Wonnictnof the city,.,eounty, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Folding Easy-Chair; andwe do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification'. 4

Figures 1 and 2 are vertical longitudinal sections ofV our improved easy-chair, showing it in diiferent positions. Y i

Figure 3 is a detail rear elevation, partly in section, of the same.

Figure 4 is a detail transverse section of thefupper-rail and roller of the chair-back,

Similar letters of reference indicate corrcs'pondingparts. v

The object of this invention is to produce an easy-chair which is sc arranged that its seat can be adjusted higher or lower, and locked'in any desired position, and that its back can be set morecr less inclined, and locked at any desired angle of inclination.

4The invention consists in connecting the upper ends of an X-shaped chair-frame by means ofV an apron which has one end wound around a roller, by which it is always held stretched, and in pivoting the seat to the rear one of the two chair-sections, its front end resting upon a rail connecting the upper ends of the stays of the front section. lHowever the chair may be folded, the seat will always remain in thehorizontal or nearly such convenient position, and the aforesaid apron will always remain stretched, as the aforesaid roller will automatically wind it up, it being connected with a coiled spring for that purpose. i

A A are the two stays or main bars forming the rear legs and front seat-supports, and B B are the two stays or main bars forming the front legs-and the back of an X-shaped folding-chair frame, the four bars, AA, B B, being all connected by one rod, C, around which they respectively turn, or by two pins, in line with each other, that would be equivalents to the separate ends of the rod C.

The front ends of the bars A are connected by a strong rail, D.

The u pper ends ofthe bars B are connected by a strong rail, E, which covers and protects a roller, F, that has its bearings in the two bars, B, under the rail E, as is clearly shown in the drawing. I i

G is a cloth, or other flexible band Aor apron, fastened with one end to the roller F, and with the other end to the rail D, and fitted, e., bent around a roller or bar, H, that connects the bars B somewhat above the pin C, as shown.

The roller F carries concealed within one bar, B, a ratchet-wheel, a., which is, by a spring-pawl, 6, or its equivalent, prevented from turning in the wrong direction, the said spring-pawl being also concealed withinthe bar B.

c is a coiled spring, concealed, also, in one bar, b, and connected with the roller F so as to have the constent tendency to turn it in the direction of' the arrow in figs. 1, 2, and 4, wherebythe band G wouldA be wound upon the said roller.

The pawl b prevent-s the roller F from being turned inf-the direction opposite to that shown by the arrow, while it allows the same to turn with the arrow, andas moved hyi-the spring c. I,

I is the seat. The same is, by means of avvpin, d, hinged t-o the bars B Babove the nirr C, and rests with its front end upon the rail D, itbeing not fastened to the latter. i

The pin d may be either iixed to the bars B or to the seat, as maybe desired.

The seat will, whenr the chair-frame A1B is folded more or less apart, always remain 1n the horizontal or other desired comfortable position, the rail D sliding under it, and retaini-iigi'ts original direction with the pin d.

Fig. 1 shows the frame A B folded more together than it is in fig, 2. In the former the seat is higher than in thelatter, but in both it has the desired horizontal position.

When the chair is folded more together to raise the seat, the band G will be slackened, and will at once be wound up by the roller F, owing to the action upon the same by the spring; but the pawl b will then prevent the band from being unwound again, z'. e., the seat-from beingl lowered, and the band G will therefore bear the whole strain of the weight resting on the seat, and will transmit the same to the ratchet-wheel and pawl.

When it is desired to lower the seat, the pnwl has to be thrown out of the ratchet-Wheel. 'For this purpose a cam', J, has, by a pin, e, been pivoted to onebar, B, as in figs. l and 2.

By turning the cam into the position shown in tig. 2, the pawl `will be pushed out of the Wheel a, and the frame A B may be expanded to lower thc seat at will. By then turning the cam, as in fig. 1, the pawl will be liberated, and will again t into the wheel a, to prevent further lowering of the seat. i

The seat and back of this chair may be cushioned, upholstered, or constructed in any suitable manner, and we do not confine the use of the invention to any'particular kind of seat or back.

To prevent the seat from being lowered, and the frame from being?r expanded beyond a certaindesired limit, a rod, K, has been, with its ends fastened toears y, pivoted to the ends of C, or near the same, so that said rod can rest loose on the back part of A, as in fig. 1, but when the bars B have been bent back as far as in g. 2, the rod K will t against both sets of bars A and B, and will preventtheir further doivnward inclination.

L L-arc bands that may connect the upper ends of the contiguous bars A B, to serve as arm-rests.

It will, from the above, be understood that this chair can always be folded together at will, but can never` be expanded, z'. e., lowered, unless the cam J is first turned so as to disengage the pawl 6 from the .wheel a.

The chair is therefore adjustable, and under perfect and m'ost convenient control; all the operating parts are concealed, and the chair can therefore be made of suitable plain or ornamental material.

Havin` thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. '.lhe application to the roller F, around which the band G is wound, of the spring c, ratchet-wheel a, and spring-pawl In, all made and operating substantially as herein shown and described, for the purpose of locking:r the chair automatically in any desired'position, as set forth.

2. The cam J, arranged in connectionwith the spring-pawl b, for the purpose of allowing the band to be unWound and the seat to be lowered, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. Pivoting the seat I to one set of supports only, of an X-shaped chair-frame, when said frame is provided with a self-acting band, G, and roller F, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

4. The rod K and lugs g, when arranged on an X-shaped stool-frame, to prevent extreme expansion of the same, as set forth..`

CHAS. C. SCHMITT.

RUDOLPH WODRICH. Witnesses:

FRANK BLOCKLEY, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

